NEW YORK: Crisis PR supremo John Scanlon has joined a new company, Westhill Media Strategies, to help celebrities and corporations in trouble.
NEW YORK: Crisis PR supremo John Scanlon has joined a new company, Westhill Media Strategies, to help celebrities and corporations in trouble.
Scanlon, who famously coached Monica Lewinsky through her Barbara Walters interview, will be working alongside new arrival Lou Colasuonno, former editor of two New York tabloids, the Post and the Daily News.
The two media experts join Deborah Hayes, former Oprah Winfrey publicist and press secretary to Dick Gephardt, who has been at the company for the past year.
The arrival of Scanlon and Colasuonno has already attracted considerable interest from a number of clients including the design house Versace.
Scanlon has worked on neutralizing the effects of a planned book about Gianni Versace, which, in the end, was never published.
Scanlon is also working with former Sotheby's chairman Alfred Taubman, who could face a federal indictment as part of alleged price-fixing at the auction house.
'This company is unique,' said Scanlon. 'Our expertise is media strategy and consultancy for high-end companies.'
Scanlon was previously head of crisis communications at corporate sleuthing firm DSFX International. He will continue to have a relationship with the firm.
The relaunched Westhill Media Strategies, a unit of Westhill Partners, opened its doors on October 1.
